Vasai, Maharashtra
Two life jackets can look the same on a marketplace listing and sit far apart on price. The difference is usually the approval behind them. This guide explains the terms so the comparison is a fair one.
SOLAS and the LSA Code
SOLAS is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, adopted through the International Maritime Organization. Its Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code sets the performance a lifejacket, lifebuoy, light or whistle must reach, and the tests that prove it. Ships that fall under the convention must carry equipment that has been type-approved against that code.
Who approves it
Type approval is granted by a ship’s flag administration or by an organisation it recognises for the purpose. In India the Directorate General of Shipping administers this, and the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is a recognised organisation that issues type approval certificates. An IRS type approval names an exact model, a certificate number and a validity period; a buyer can ask for all three.
Non-SOLAS vessels
Fishing vessels, small craft and inland vessels are generally governed by national and state rules rather than by SOLAS itself, and many working boats carry jackets listed against EN ISO 12402 instead. That is a legitimate choice for the water they work; what matters is that the equipment on board matches what the vessel’s survey or licence requires. The price gap between the two kinds of jacket reflects the buoyancy, the materials, the testing regime and the cost of the approval itself.
What to ask any supplier
- The exact model named on the certificate, and whether it is the model being quoted.
- The issuing body, the certificate number and its validity dates.
- The standard or code edition the approval was tested against.
- Whether the certificate document itself can be supplied with the goods.
MM products that name IRS type approval
- Heavy Side Release Buckle – MMB42: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, ISO 12402-7:2006/Amd 1:2011, CE, as stated by MM.
- MM Life Jacket Model: MMLJ: IRS Type Approval, SOLAS LSA Code, as stated by MM.
- MM Life Jacket Model: SIGMA: IRS Type Approval, SOLAS LSA Code, BS EN ISO 12402:2020, PFD Type III, CE, as stated by MM.
- Life Jacket Whistle – MMLJW: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, as stated by MM.
- Lifebuoy Light (S.I. Light) – MMLBL: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, as stated by MM.
- MM Lifebuoy Model: MMLB 2.5 & MMLB 4: SOLAS LSA Code, IRS Type Approval, CE, MED Directive 2014/90/EU, BS EN 14144:2003, BS EN ISO 12402:2020, Directive 2014/35/EU, as stated by MM.
Approvals named here are as stated by MM Techno Plast. Our certification register separates the approvals we hold documents for from those we state, so you can verify before you order.